With 30 Tea Plantations In Attendance, The Largest Ever China International Tea Expo Is Being Held In Hangzhou

HANGZHOU, China, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The China International Tea Expo, organized by Shenzhen HJC Industrial Group, is being held in Hangzhou from May 15 - 19, 2019. Themed "Tea and the World, Shared Development", the 70,000-square meter expo brings together government delegations from 30 of the most well-known tea plantations. The China International Tea Expo, one of the most authoritative, largest and influential tea events in the world, is co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province.

Government delegations from 30 of the world's most well-known tea plantations are attending the expo, including:

The delegation from Zhejiang province: Zhejiang is a world-renowned green tea plantation, known as "the land of fish and rice, the home of silk and tea". It has taken a multi-format development path through an organic combination of the industry itself, the economy that the industry has created, the ecosystem that supports the industry and the tea culture that has made the industry such a bulwark within China's greater economy. In 2018, the province boasted 2,000 square kilometers of tea under cultivation, the output value of which had reached 20.6 billion yuan resulting in a market turnover of 22.2 billion yuan, ranking Zhejiang among the top provinces and regions across the country. Most notably, the export volume and value of green tea accounted for half of the country's total.

The delegation from Anhui province: From the four famous historic teas -- Huangshan Maofeng Green Tea, Taiping Houkui Green Tea, Keemun Black Tea and Lu'an Melon Seed Tea -- to the national gift brand Yuexi Cuilan, the Anhui delegation includes representatives from five major tea producing cities including Anqing, Chizhou, Huangshan, Lu'an and Xuancheng as well as from 56 popular tea brands and 31 brands known by the region where they are grown, giving the audience an opportunity to learn about and experience the unique flavor of authentic Hui tea, a tea known for its high quality, original ecology and local tea culture.

The delegation from Shandong province: Shandong is the largest tea plantation in northern China and is also a successful example of an initiative to cultivate some of the types of tea that are normally only grown in the southern part of the country. Known in tea circles for producing excellent teas at latitudes well north of where tea is usually grown, the province plans to highlight its achievements in terms of the size of its industry, the name recognition of its brands, the development of green, eco-friendly tea plantations, its future development goals and its 40 kinds of famous tea.

In late 2018, the China International Tea Expo received certification from the Union of International Fairs (UFI), making the expo an internationally-recognized professional event and drawing more exhibitors and buyers. This year's expo has attracted more than 1,500 exhibitors and features 3,125 booths, including 2,793 for tea, coffee and derivatives and 332 for sectors that service the tea growers including packaging, processing equipment, technology, and marketing. The number of booths is 2.6 times that of the first expo and 18 percent higher than that of the second, demonstrating the increasing interest across the industry in participating in the event. The expo has attracted 3,098 domestic and 193 overseas buyers, far exceeding expectations and making it the largest tea event in China.

This year's expo is also hosting a series of major themed events, including the Meeting of China-CEEC Ministers of Agriculture & the China-CEEC Agro-Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, "Tea Talk by West Lake"-The International Summit Forum on China's Tea Industry, the Tea Industry T20 Summit, the International Tea and Coffee Dialogue, the Forum on Building Tea Brands in Poverty-Stricken Areas, the International Seminar of Tea Institute Directors, the Conference on Tourism Development in Tea Growing Regions and the Forum on Contemporary Chinese Tea Culture. The expo has invited 144 special guests from international organizations in 25 countries including 66 guests from 18 countries and regions who are attending the China-CEEC Meeting, among them 3 ministers, 8 vice ministers and 5 ambassadors, while the remaining 78 guests from seven countries and regions who are attending the expo include 1 minister and 3 vice ministers. Additionally, major tea producing provinces and tea companies are launching a series of brand promotion events. Hangzhou, the host city, plans to organize a series of themed seminars focused on tea culture, tea as a hobby and the tea tourism experience.

Organizer: Shenzhen HJC Industrial Group

Since the first China International Tea Expo, Shenzhen HJC Industrial Group has been playing an important role as the organizer. With the increasing authority, scale and influence of the expo every year, HJC has been a witness to the event's growth.

Shenzhen HJC Industrial Group is a world-class integrated tea service provider, a resource system covering the global tea industry chain. HJC has established long-term cooperative relationships with more than 500 industry media, 1,200 senior tea experts, industry associations and research institutes, and more than 8,700 cooperative enterprises, and mastered an industry database including 186,000 tea distributors and 3.26 million tea players. HJC Industrial Group has maintained close ties with tea associations and institutions in 18 countries including the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya.

HJC Global Tea Fair China (Shenzhen) has been successfully held for the past ten years. Held twice a year, it has developed into the world's largest tea fair. Global Tea Fair is also equipped with an online distribution platform (Teayork Hub) and an offline tea culture mall.